


צוריס

by Lasgalendil



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Antisemitism, Child Death, Gen, Great Depression, Historical References, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Nazis, Parent-Child Relationship, Prohibition, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-09 22:04:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18925894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lasgalendil/pseuds/Lasgalendil
Summary: No mother should outlive her child.





	צוריס

It’s 1916, and there’s a war on. She’s missed her monthlies and she’s scared shitless. Fred writes from the front, says he’ll do right by her.

It’s 1917, and she has a brief engagement, a hasty marriage, and a son, not necessarily in that order.

It’s 1919, and the war is won.

It’s 1920, and she stands in line for [sacramental wine](https://jwfoodandwine.com/article/2017/05/30/when-tradition-met-prohibition) from a rabbi, hasn’t been to Shul in years. Suddenly Fred’s Irish family is keen to know hers, to share their Shabbat meals.

It’s 1925, and everything is golden.

It’s 1929, and on an overcast afternoon in October every single golden thing has fallen to ash.

It’s 1933, and there are [whispers](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/antisemitic-legislation-1933-1939).

It’s 1937, and the whispers have become shouts. There is a[ Night at the Garden.  There are Nazis in New York.](http://www.pbs.org/pov/nightatthegarden/video-nightatthegarden/)

It’s 1939, and Fred and James have a row. Her brave boy won’t enlist to fight, and she’s more relieved than ashamed.

It’s 1941, and planes fly over Pearl Harbor as ships sink into the bay. She thinks of 1916, the world at war, the baby growing in her belly. Good mothers make poor patriots.

It’s 1942, and her boy comes home in tears, smelling like cigarette ash and gin, draft letter crumpled in one hand. She burns it. Fred is proud. Her baby boy is terrified.

It’s 1943, and her boy goes off to war. There are letters from Africa. From Italy. There is a telegram, saying he is missing in action.

It’s 1944, and she gets letters from the front. Each sparse, censored one scares her more than the last.

It’s 1945, and they’ve won the war. Her boy won’t be coming home.

**Author's Note:**

> tsuris (Yiddish)  
> https://www.momentmag.com/jewish-word-tsuris/


End file.
